Psalm 77

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A Brief Reflection upon Psalm 77... 
Before reading this post I would encourage you to take some time processing this text yourself. 

Psalm 77 is a personal lament where the author is expressing a deep sense of pain. The author is struggling with comprehending what is going on within one's life.  As one who too is going through a time of struggle and pain I resonate with this text.  The Psalmist says that they are so troubled they can not speak. In the last couple of weeks, I have gotten to the point where at times I had no words to respond to what was going on and all I could do is moan as the psalmist says.

A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting with a youth who had knee surgery.   She is lamenting about her knee. Her surgery is major and because of the injury may not play volleyball again.  It seems so unfair and unjust what she is going through. She is young, smart, a great student, and a faithful follower of Christ.  At this point she just grunts and moans through her pain because to her there is no other way to express her pain and sense of loss. My conversation with this Youth began with a lament and then closed with words of praise towards God.  God has blessed her despite the unfortunate circumstances.   

When the Psalmist laments its not as though he has forgotten God because in verse 13 he affirms who God is and what God has done. Our finite brains can not begin to understand the infinite God.  Upon first look at my life right now I am in a deep lament.  I do not understand it, but upon deeper reflection it has turned into affirmation of who God has been, who he is, and who I know he will be. My pain is real, my faith in God is real, and oddly both exist within the same universe.

Though we don't always find resolution in these stories and still don't get all the answers we want it seems that what we can know is that God is still there and hear, feels, and sees what we are going through.

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